A Successful Garden in not a matter of luck or years of experience and hard work. Simply start by applying these seven keys to success. Then build on them by experimenting reading and talking to other gardeners. Those are the best sources for gardening tipsand help.

Inside or outdoors, gardening is both a popular and satisfying leisure time activity. There are many different ways to grow plants and places in which to grow them. Although plants have different needs, all plant care has seven factors in common.

• Space:

The first thing in growing plants is deciding where to put them. Choose from a variety of pots in different types and sizes, window boxes, greenhouses, beds, borders, and of course the garden plot.

Space for plants also means giving them the room they need to grow. Some plants do well bunched closely together, while others, like large trees, may require several feet of room between them.

• Nutrition.

Plants get the nutrients they need mainly from their growing medium. Today’s gardeners can opt for many different mediums and methods of growing plants.

When growing plants outdoors, a soil test provides you with information on the composition of your soil. Depending on the type of plant you want to grow, you may need to “amend” your soil to provide your plants with necessary drainage, moisture retention, and the organic compounds.

NPK Fertilizers contain nitrogen (N), potassium (P), and potash (K). Each component serves a purpose. However, fertilizers are a plant supplement and not the main meal! Real nutrition for soil-grown plants comes from soil rich with organic compounds.

Potted plants grow in various potting mixtures depending on the cultivars and the method used to grow them. Along with soil based and part soil growing mediums, some plants grow without soil! Hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponic gardening are three forms of soil-less gardening.

• Temperature.

Growing plants at the right temperatures is essential for successful gardening. Winter hardy plants that do well in temperate areas frequently won’t tolerate warm climates.

Conversely, tropical plants typically won’t withstand frost and need to live indoors during cold northern winters. House plants, as well, also have maximum and minimum temperature requirements.

• Light.

Light is the most important factor in plant growth. During photosynthesis, plants use light to collect carbon dioxide molecules and convert them into sugar, an energy-producing nutrient for plants.

Outdoor light classifications may be from shade to full sun, with varying degrees of light tolerances, such as “part shade” or “part sun”, in between. Indoor classifications are often termed as “bright light”, “bright-filtered light”, “indirect light”, and “low light”.

• Water.

Of course, you’ll need to water your plants. However, when and how much vary from variety to variety of plant. Some plants require constantly moist soil, while others like a good drink, but won’t tolerate wet feet and some plants, like cacti, need very little water at all!

• Air.

Plants breathe just like people do and like people, need fresh clean air. However, in addition to the air above ground, many plants “breath” through the soil as well.

• Time.

Ecclesiastes says it best. “There’s a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted”.

As well as when to plant and when to pluck, time is also important for knowing when to divide certain cultivars like tulips, when to prune shrubs, when to bring tender plants indoors, and when to set them outside. If you provide your plants with the first six necessities and add a drop of patience, in due time you’ll have a successful garden to build on when you gain experience.